(Al Sandlin)

The heart possessed by every individual is the seat of feeling or affection when discussed in scripture. The actions of a person are prompted by the heart within him. Jesus said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication's, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23) He also said in Matthew 12:34, "...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

When a heart is said to be hardened it is meant that nothing moves the heart. People with a hardened heart are insensitive to the sufferings of others, to their own condition, to the commands, the love, and the threatening of God. The disciple of Jesus named John, said in John 12:37-41, "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Isaiah, when he saw his glory, and spake of him."

Love can only survive in a heart of tenderness. When one has a hardened heart love for God, others, and self cannot exist. A lawyer approached Jesus one time asked, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matthew 22:36-39)

A person with a hardened heart cannot love the Lord God as required. A person with a hardened heart cannot love his neighbor. A person with a hardened heart cannot love himself. Consequently, a person with a hardened heart cannot be a disciple of the Lord Jesus - a Christian.

The heart is most tender in youth. It is in youth that the wise man Solomon admonished one to begin his walk with God. "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." (Ecclesiastes 12:1) Moses, Joseph, David, and Josiah all began serving God in their youth. Consequently, they served Him well as they served their families, neighbors, and nation. The practice of sin has a way of hardening the heart.

When one begins to serve God in his youth, he creates a lifestyle for himself which makes for continuity of the tender heart. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." The hearts of children are tender. That's why, with proper discipline, they can be reared in "...the nurture and the admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)

The heart is hardened through the indulgence of sin. Sin is transgression of God's law. (I John 3:4) It is a lack of love for God which causes one to sin against Him. It is a lack of love that causes one to sin against his spouse or his children. Notice to progression of sin according to James 1:13-15 - "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

It is the individual who makes provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. That's so because the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13:14, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Once again, the lack of love for God causes one to put himself in a position to be tempted. The more he does that, the more hardened his heart becomes. It is during such times that the individual rationalizes away moral uprightness. When one finds himself mired in sin, he then is in need of a savior.

When the message of salvation falls on the ear of the sinner, he must then make a conscious choice of how he's going to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The longer he refuses, the harder the heart becomes. On the day of Pentecost when Peter and the other eleven apostles spoke the message of salvation to those responsible for crucifying the Son of God, it was only when "they were pricked in their heart" that they "...said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37) Their question was answered by Peter, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." (Acts 2:38) Acts 2:41 says, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."

During the ministry of Jesus upon the earth, He was grieved when He encountered those with hardened hearts. In Mark 3 He healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. "And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other."

Do you understand that His grief over their hardened hearts was because He would never be able to teach them truth as long as their hearts were hardened?

That heart condition is the very reason folks today will not hear and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of "traditions of the fathers," because of prejudice, because of the quilt of sin, people will continue to refuse Jesus as their Savior. Twice the writer appeals to the Hebrews to not harden their hearts against Jesus. In Hebrews 3:7-8,14-15 the quote is, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." God determined that the murmuring, complain-ing Israelites would not enter His rest because of their hardened hearts.

In Hebrews 4:6-9 the writer once again emphatically states that those Israelites with the hardened heart did not enter into the promised land because of unbelief. He goes on to say that it is just that certain that those with hardened hearts even in the Christian dispensation will not enter into the rest prepared for the people of God.

The Lord and Savior of mankind said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Won't you have a tender heart? "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the heart confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)

Everybody has a good excuse for not attending church. If you take those excuses and apply them to other things we do (or don't do), like eating, they might look like this list:

I don't eat any more because:

1. I was forced to eat as a child.

2. People who eat all the time are hypocrites; they aren't really hungry.

3. There are so many different kinds of food, I can't decide what to eat.

4. I used to eat, but I got bored and stopped.

5. I only eat on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter.

6. None of my friends will eat with me.

7. I'll start eating when I get older.

8. I don't really have time to eat.

9. I don't believe that eating does anybody any good. It's just a crutch.

10. Restaurants and grocery stores are only after your money.